In the world of Chips his friends are rich although, until he married Honor Guinness, he wasn’t, but he splashed out and relied on his father to stump up. He did.The 1930s were another world; a whirly world of parties, country house weekends and exchanges of expensive gifts. The Duke of Kent didn’t like the Channon’s Christmas present in 1935 and asked for something else. He gave the Kents a pair of Empire ormolu candlesticks!
When he opens his stocking on Christmas Day (1935) he finds a gold cigarette case marked with election results (he’d been elected as MP for Southend), a gold champagne stirrer from his dog, a Fabergé lighter from his wife, playing cards from his infant son. He gave his son a set of cat’s eyes and diamond waistcoat buttons and studs made by the Russian Court jeweller, Bolin. (They were a present to Chips from Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.) His wife got a white and red Fabergé cigarette case and some pictures for her bedroom.
A less financially fortunate family was their friends the Ponsonbys. “Fritz” Ponsonby looks good on paper. Born in 1867, his godparents were Emperor Frederick III and Empress Victoria. He gathered laurels: Baron Sysonby , GCB, GCVO, PC. After serving in the Grenadier Guards he became a courtier, serving Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V and George VI. He lived in a grace and favour apartment in St James’s Palace where he died in 1935 leaving a widow, three children and not a penny. His widow was given three months to move out of the palace. Fortunately her daughter, Loelia, married to the Duke of Westminster, was able to assist her but she wanted to earn some money herself. This is how she did it.
Illustrated by Oliver Messel this collectors’ piece was described by Osbert Sitwell as “varied, historic, traditional, and not intended for the rich man’s table alone”.
Isn’t that a charming idea, well within all our budgets.